The greatest sin. (Closed)

"Milk scent?" Marshstorm's head lifted questioningly towards Mosspaw, then a sound. A squeaking. Plaintive, scared and alone. His head whipped towards it, then he followed the scent of milk and Ridgelight. The fox scent grew stronger, but his stomach didn't churn because of it.

A bush lay torn open before them. Branches broken and tossed about, fur lay on the forest floor in finely shed clumps... but worst of it. The scent of blood. The fresh-kill churned in his stomach as he saw a tiny, blood covered kit. Blind and helpless mewling and squirming among the wreckage. The body of another kit was close by, half covered by the bushes, but the blood that soaked the ground made it clear it wasn't living anymore. His ears flattened, breaths trembling in horror as he padded towards the tiny squirming body and scented it.

Fury boiled within him. The scent of Ridgelight was so abundantly clear. His own clanmate had abandoned a litter of kits to die. He wrenched himself away from the tiny scrap of fur.
"Mosspaw! This one's alive!" He called out, before he gently picked it up by the tiniest scruff. Carrying the little creature towards the rest of the patrol. A flash of red caught his eye, the stench of fox ever looming.

"Beartooth. Did you know?" Marshstorm's gaze fell heavily on his former apprentice. He wanted to believe he knew the tom better than to have been okay with this. Still, he had never thought that a she-cat, who had the option of a nursery, could be so mouse hearted as to leave a litter of kits to the foxes.

Beartooth was prepared to agree with Lynxtail. Somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind, the tom's brain had started to slowly piece together what had happened. But it didn't quite reach his consciousness. He wanted to believe this was just a vixen, striving to protect her pups in a carnal fashion. But as Marshstorm spoke, he blinked. Milk scent. It bothered him while every normal instinct screamed to focus on the looming threat of russet fur, his mind repeated the words in an echo-y fashion, playing on loop and demanding he make some sense of the scene laid out before him. The deputy discovered it first and his eyes flickered upwards to follow his former mentor's path. Among the shredded bush ahead was a tale of carnage. Blood spattered the splintered wood and painted the earth before. He could just barely make out scraps of fur against the backdrop of crimson and brown hues.

This one's alive!

That was when it hit him and the thoughts began to churn. These were kits. Beartooth had always had a soft spot for kits, delighting in the innocence they still possessed that he had stripped from him so many moons ago. Beepaw, the Shadowclan warrior, the Skyclan apprentice... These horrifying paws had torn away any last shred of who he was and labelled him a monster. It was what kept him from visiting the nursery more often than he would have liked and caused him to be distant from the younger cats who had been brought to him by kin. Perhaps it was what lead Dewpaw to madness. He swallowed. Underneath it's thin, red coat, were hints of a pale tabby pelt. Dull green eyes fixated on that as Marshstorm padded over with the kit.

Did you know?

What? Beartooth's head tilted slightly in confusion and as he did so Ridgelight's scent hit him once more. Oh no... no. It couldn't be. Was the deputy suggesting that this was his kit? That Ridgelight bore his kits and then left them to die out in the forest? His many claws dug into the earth almost instinctively. There was no way that was possible, right? And he remembered her weeping from the previous night, something had broken her soul, something she dared not even speak of. Here he was, discovering that very secret. He hadn't even known she was to have kits. She never said anything. The warrior tried to swallow a lump of ice that had formed in his throat. His eyes had glazed over as the thoughts over took him in a rare moment. And finally, his head shook slightly. The words that came from his mouth were barely audible and sounded like they belonged to a much smaller cat, "No. I didn't know."

Dustcloud's heart shattered into pieces when she heard her mate call to Mosspaw about a single live kit. The scent of blood had become clearer the moment Marshstorm parted into the torn bush and the motherly side of the older she-cat immediately jumped out, her instincts to protect the newborn going into overdrive. The pieces had clicked in her brain already, but her hopes were high for the possibility that the fox hadn't reached the kits yet. She peeked past her mate's shoulders into the bush, the horrid sight of a dead kit surrounded by a pool of blood, likely it's own, meeting her eyes. So many emotions were coursing through her all at the same time- disappointment and anger in her former apprentice for abandoning her own litter of kits to die alone in the forest, heartbreak for the kits that had already been found by the fox, and fright. They still had the threat of the russet furred predator to deal with. And if possible, she was going to do all she could to save the one remaining kit. Ridgelight would face the consequences of her actions eventually, Dustcloud's focus was on giving this kit the chance at life that its littermates had lost. She gently took the small kit from her mate, lifting it by the scruff as she looked back on the group, her gaze sympathetically landing on Beartooth and lingering there for just a moment.

"I'm getting this kit back to camp. It needs to be checked over, and cleaned off." With a small nod, she took the kit and turned around and ran back towards camp, trying her best not to move the kit around too much.

As Dustcloud lifted the kit, Emberheart couldn't even bring herself to look at the bush. She knew what was there, the scent of blood and everyone else's words as clear as day... But she couldn't look at it for herself. "How could anyone do such a thing...?" The thought that one of her own Clanmates could ever be so cruel was too much to even consider, but it seemed to be the truth. The thoughts of the fox had faded momentarily, replaced with worry for the kit. As Dustcloud carried the kit away and toward the camp where it would be safe, though, that fear returned; rolling over her in waves, like the floodwater that had ravaged the forest not so long ago.

As Lynxtail spoke, Mosspaw nodded slightly. "It could be that the fox has kits of its own... But the scent of... She trailed off with a gasp as Marshstorm parted the bush, revealing the battered remains of a kit sprawled lifeless on the ground. Her ears flattened against her head as her fur bushed out, horrified at the sight before her. No.. it couldn't be... There had to be something she could do... The deputy turned to her, a small kit hanging from his jaws that was mewling in protest. Oh thank StarClan, there was still a chance for this one.... She rushed over to meet him, nosing the kit gently. There was a lot of blood covering it, and the little eyes hadn't even opened yet... It was a miracle he was even moving.

Dustcloud stepped forward, grabbing the kit from Marshstorm and saying she was heading for camp. Opening her mouth to protest, Mosspaw thought about things - there were no wounds that were critical or life-threatening on the tiny tom, and in fact, most of the blood on him seemed to be that of his litter mates. Her heart broke for the other kit, perhaps there were more further in the bush that had managed to escape the clutches of the fox as well, but the lack of noise wasn't promising. She nodded, mewing quickly to Dustcloud as she prepared to run back to camp. "Take him straight to the medicine den. Get him cleaned and warmed up, and if possible, see if one of the queens can nurse him. Poor scrap must be starving. He has no wounds that I can see right now, so I entrust his care with you. I'll look over the others... Maybe there's still hope for them. I'll meet you back at camp. Travel swiftly, Dustcloud."

She watched as the she-cat ran with the kit in her jaws, wishing she could have looked the kitten over more thoroughly - but with the threat of the fox hanging over their heads it was better this way. Taking hesitating steps forward to the bush, she saw a flash of russet fur out of the corner of her eye. She paused midstep, turning towards it and flicked her tail in the direction it had been before reaching the body of the kit. There was no rising or falling of it's flank, and it quickly became clear that there was no hope. Squeezing her eyes shut, realization of the cat scent hit her. Behind her she heard Beartooth being questioned by Marshstorm, and the sickening feeling in her stomach rose. Ridgelight?... No... She had noticed something had seemed off with the she-cat's walking, but... Why?... Why would she do something like this?... How could she do something like this?... She gingerly picked up the kit that held no life in it's tiny frame and turned towards the deputy, gently shaking her head from side to side. There was no hope for any other survivors. Padding over to Emberheart, she buried her head in her shoulder fur, shoulders shaking with fear and grief at the date that had befallen the poor litter. In her state of checking the bush and moving to Emberheart's side, she missed Lynxtail's episode completely.

Lynxtail's tufted ears twitched as Marshstorm investigated the source of the pitiful cry. The noise lead the patrol towards the tattered remains of a bush. Whatever made that sound must be sheltering just a few pawsteps away.
The young tom's head was beginning to pound, but he leaned forward anyway, curiosity getting the better of him. He'd never seen fox pups before, although he'd heard that they weren't that different from a three-moon-old kit.
When he finally caught a glimpse of the little creature that had been whimpering so pathetically, Lynxtail's eyes widened in shock.

The noise that tore itself from his throat was somewhere between a hoarse yelp and a scream. A half step forward revealed the carnage in full: a mewling newborn, and just beyond it... Lynxtail fought the urge to vomit. The massacred body of a kit was lying broken on the forest floor, its newly-dried fur torn to shreds. The golden-brown tom quickly averted his gaze, opting instead to stare at the others, the ground, the sky, anything but the gory scene before him. He swung his head vigorously back and forth, trying to shake the image that was now firmly planted his mind.
Lynxtail stared blankly as Dustcloud carried the surviving kit back to camp, swallowing repeatedly, his claws digging into the dirt. He continued to stare at the spot where she disappeared into the undergrowth, unable to see anything except the kit's body. Lynxtail was stunned. The sheer horror of knowing that he was abandoned by his own mother, left in the forest to die just like these two, was nearly unbearable. Emotion hit him like a boulder, leaving him as helpless as the kits.

The next few moments passed in a blur. He was vaguely aware that Mosspaw had moved to Emberheart's side, carrying the kit's remains. Voices sounded all around him.
His whole body began to tremble like a leaf. Icelike numbness began to thaw, eventually giving way to burning emotion. His hackles raised and he drove his claws deeper into the earth as white-hot anger coursed through his body. It took every ounce of self-control Lynxtail possessed to not attack Marshstorm or Beartooth. Although he knew that they both had no involvement in the death of the litter, he hated them all the same for not noticing sooner, for not teaching her better. They were supposed to be older and wiser. They were supposed to prevent these things, not discover them.
Above all, he loathed Ridgelight with every inch of his being. She was the most disgusting, repulsive creature in the forest; words couldn't begin to describe how much Lynxtail detested her. She'd had so many better options, yet she chose- she chose to leave her own children in the forest, completely unprotected.
"Marshstorm," Lynxtail spoke through his teeth, every word imbued with seething hatred for Ridgelight, for his own mother. He raised his head and held the deputy's gaze. "Promise me that you won't let this atrocity go unpunished." Marshstorm couldn't let Ridgelight get away with this. Lynxtail would make sure of it.

Beartooth's denial soothed some of the emotions in his chest. His amber gaze moved away from Beartooth, who he trusted to be honest, and had seemed as shocked as every other cat. He placed the kit carefully into Dustcloud and Mosspaw's care, a flash of red in his vision once again. Filling him with relief as Dustcloud ran off. Branches cracked nearby, but the noise didn't indicate following the lone cat. With the fading of the shock however, came the anger.

Bitter rage flooded him as he thought about the helpless little kits. The tiny scrap of fur that Mosspaw had found, so bloodied that it's fur colour was indisguishable. His claws dug into the ground, head whipping to address Emberheart, forcing his voice to stay controlled.
"A She-cat who doesn't believe in her clan." He growled, attention twisting to Lynxtail. His amber gaze met the tom's green ones with clear fury beneath them. "I assure you. She will pay. For every kit that had to die this morning." He seemed as though he was going to say more, as something crashed through the bushes towards them.

A fox, large and vicious. Blood covered it's muzzle, teeth bared to reveal that they too were red with fresh blood. Too recent... kit blood reeked from it's pelt as it snarled towards the cats that were now in front of it's recent food supply. It hurtled towards the assembled cats, going after the bright red and white one that stood out from the crowd. It's claw-tipped paws smashing into her.

Fox used Thrash on Emberheart

Fox:
90/90
260/280 (-20)

Emberheart:
60/80 (-20)
240/240

As Mosspaw nosed the tiny scrap, the creature let out a small kit-ish scream and thrashed out a paw blindly, batting at her nose. He was passed between cats and wriggled furiously, displeased with the current situation. Half-meowing, half-yowling softly, the scarlet-coated tom fought against Dustcloud's grasp but after a short struggle ran out of the little energy his weak body possessed.

Beartooth was silent, eye fixated on the ground ahead. He had nothing to say. The idea that Ridgelight had bore his kits was one he was still trying to process, not even yet on the consideration of his offspring that had been slain by the fox underneath the bush. At the edges of his vision, there was red. Knowing in the back of his mind what it was, the warrior swallowed, but something seemed to catch in his throat. How could this possibly be the work of a cat he loved? It was so horrible, so cruel. All he wanted to do was curl up next to Ridgelight and forget the world as he drifted into sleep. Was that wrong? If he looked at her now, all he would see was the wreckage ahead. Coats similar to theirs reduced into a mess of carnage, not given a chance at life. All he could do was stare, unblinking.

The only thing that caught his attention was the snarl that tore through the air. He slowly lifted his maw to watch the fox tear into Emberheart. And instinct kicked it. Little else would have roused the tom from his own, sinking mud thoughts. But the prospect of battle was familiar and brought about a sense of duty. With little hesitation, he raced in the direction of the creature, growling lowly in his pursuit. Rearing up onto his hindlegs with a great push up off the ground, Beartooth unsheathed his unholy claws and tore into the creature's face with fourteen sharpened claws. The low growling continued to rumble in his chest, allowing the heat of battle to relieve the terrible pain in his chest, and bringing out a rare, primal anger. Beartooth never showed anger, hardly ever felt it. But in the wake of such devastation, it appeared he had found it.

Beartooth used Upright Front Paws on the fox, using 20 stamina and dealing 14 damage.

Beartooth
HP: 60/60
SP: 180/200 (-20)

Fox
HP: 77/90 (-13)
SP: 260/280

A flash of russet fur, and suddenly Emberheart was pulled from her side. She stood still in shock for a moment, eyes wide as she found herself right next to the fox, and felt sick as she saw and smelled the kit-blood that it reeked of. Turning, she gently placed the kit's body that she held into a nearby bush that wasn't torn to shreds already, covering it with a leaf. "I'm sorry dear, I'll be back. I won't leave you out here, no matter what." She whispered to the dead kit, it may not draw any more breath but she refused to let it be taken in the same way as the others had. Fury flickered in her green eyes as she turned, and sprinted towards the battle. How dare this fox. How dare Ridgelight. All of the pent up anger from not only Flintfang's leaving, Dewpaw's betrayal, and now this was channeled into her attack, and she dove under the fox, claws tearing through it's belly leaving streaks of red. This creature would pay for what it had done, and then she had to hurry back to help care for the surviving kit. She wouldn't let him die too. Thinking to the way the little scrap had batted her nose, she dug her claws in deeper before wriggling out from under the fox and darting away, hoping she hadn't gotten slower in her attacks in the time spent as a medicine cat. She was rusty, maybe she should take the chance to practice once a while.

Mosspaw used Belly Rake on Fox, dealing 7 damage and costing 10 SP.

Mosspaw
HP: 35/35
SP: 80/90 (-10)

Fox
HP: 70/90 (-7)
SP: 260/280

Beartooth
HP: 60/60
SP: 180/200

Emberheart:
60/80
240/240

Lnyxtail nodded at Marshstorm's words. 'Good,' the young tom thought to himself. The voice that constantly itched in the back of the tom's mind, whispering words of caution, self-hatred, and a debt owed, had fallen silent. Right now, there was nothing Lynxtail wanted more than for Ridgelight to feel even a fraction of the pain she'd caused her kin. He wanted her to hurt, and he for the first time, he didn't feel even a flicker of guilt.

Several things happened all at once. Marshstorm opened his mouth to speak, a russet-furred fox tore through the bushes, and the entire clearing erupted into chaos. Lynxtail turned as the beast charged straight towards Emberheart, Beartooth following in hot pursuit.
His hackles rose alongside his heartbeat. It was as if this moment had been planned- all the anger he felt towards Ridgelight could be put to good use. The young tom took a small step backward, his heart pounding in his ears.
Roaring like a bear, he raced towards the fox, hitting its flank and sending it stumbling backward.

Lynxtail used Run And Tackle, dealing 9 (+3) damage and using 10 SP.

Lynxtail
HP: 40/40
SP: 110/120

Mosspaw
HP: 35/35
SP: 80/90

Fox
HP: 58/90 (-12)
SP: 260/280

Beartooth
HP: 60/60
SP: 180/200

Emberheart:
60/80
240/240

aah sorry, i thought i published this draft ;;

Emberheart hissed in pain as the fox's claws tore into her, her own blood mixing with what was already there. There was no time to freeze, no time to be afraid - even Mosspaw was fighting now, and she couldn't let this awful thing hurt anyone else... As she rose, rearing up on her hind legs to slash wildly at the fox, her only concern was trying not to hurt any of the other cats around her. Their opponent, this foul beast, would receive no such mercy... She was still afraid, still terrified this would all go horribly wrong (even more than it already had), but she would fight anyway.

Emberheart used Upright Front Paws on the Fox, dealing 15 damage and costing 20 stamina

Fox
HP: 43/90 (-15)
SP: 260/280

Emberheart:
60/80
220/240 (-20)

Beartooth
HP: 60/60
SP: 180/200

Lynxtail
HP: 40/40
SP: 110/120

Mosspaw
HP: 35/35
SP: 80/90

The fox lunged at the group of cats. Marshstorm yowled in anger as it launched itself towards Beartooth’s tabby pelt. He leapt towards it, claws unsheathed to rake across its muzzle and face as it snapped back at him, making him pull back in time for another cat to take his place in the vicious assault. The fox screeched in anger, it’s tail lashing as it pulled back. Glittering gaze flickering between the ruined nest and the angry cats, bristling and furious.

It snarled bitterly. It’s easy dinner gone now… but maybe it could still get one. As Marshstorm reached out to slash once more, the fox turned abruptly and bit down onto the nearest pelt to it. The large and strange looking cat’s pelt a hot flash in it’s jaws as the tom managed to rip himself away.

Marshstorm used Rear up to slash, The Fox used Iron Bite on Beartooth

Fox
26/90 (-17)
240/280 (-20)

Marshstorm
100/100
265/280 (-15)

Beartooth
30/60 (-30)
180/200

Emberheart:
60/80
220/240

Lynxtail
40/40
110/120

Mosspaw
35/35
80/90

"Beartooth!" Mosspaw cried as the fox turned onto the tom, grasping him in it's jaws. She dropped into an offensive stance, rather than defensive - enough was enough. She hissed fiercely, settling back to her days as a warrior apprentice. Eyes narrowed in fury at the fate that had befallen the litter born to a she-cat that cast them aside to die and the fox that had taken advantage of the darkest part of that cat's decision, she raised her unsheathed claws to scratch at the fox's face and eyes. Landing back on all four paws, she stared at the fox menacingly, regarding it coldly as she calculated her next move, stepping back a paw step to make room for Marshstorm and the others as they furiously battled with the creature as well.

Once she stepped back, the weight of the situation crashed into her all at once, and she staggered slightly as she looked at her companions wounds, specifically Emberheart and Beartooth. They were two of the cats she cared for most, she wouldn't be able to stand for it if she couldn't help them. Looking around quickly, she spotted some moss at the roots of a nearby tree, and noted it before focusing back on the battle. She wasn't so mousebrained to leave the safety of numbers to be picked off fetching the moss right away, but it would be good to know when the fox was dealt with.

Mosspaw used Front Paw Strike on Fox, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 SP.

Fox
20/90 (-6)
240/280

Marshstorm
100/100
265/280

Beartooth
30/60
180/200

Emberheart:
60/80
220/240

Lynxtail
40/40
110/120

Mosspaw
35/35
70/90 (-10)

Lynxtail's heart raced as the fox whirled around, its white fangs slashing the air just above his head. He danced back with a hiss, his hackles raised, as the russet-furred creature sank its teeth into Beartooth's fur.
There was no time to think or plan his next move. Already, Lynxtail could see that the fox was getting ready to attack again. He would just have to go with his instincts.
Spitting with rage, the young warrior charged at the fox once more, turning at the last moment to duck underneath it and swipe at its soft underbelly with razor-sharp claws. This is for the kits. He thought, tearing savagely at its stomach. And my mother, and Ridgelight. He could almost pretend that he was attacking some strange combination of the two she-cats. He dug his claws in deeper, still underneath the fox. With so many enemies to face, it didn't seem like it would attack him.

Lynxtail used Half-Turn Belly Rake, dealing 11 damage and using 20 SP.

Fox
9/90 (-11)
240/280

Marshstorm
100/100
265/280

Beartooth
30/60
180/200

Emberheart:
60/80
220/240

Lynxtail
40/40
90/120 (-20)

Mosspaw
35/35
70/90

A horrible shrieking noise came from the fox as it snarled and lashed out towards the cats that were ganging up on it. This wasn't fair. These cats had left perfect food for it's own kits, and now they were taking it back. It snarled, yellow eyes enraged as it darted off into the bushes around them.

Marshstorm watched it retreat for a second before following it. The creature ran for the border towards RiverClan and SkyClan, as he huffed and stopped the pursuit. He couldn't keep after it in the other territories... and they had precious little time. The tiny scrap that Mosspaw found, if it was alive, needed help quicker than anything else. With a growl, he turned and headed back to the horrified and battle torn patrols.

"We are heading back to camp. To settle this." He turned his gaze to Beartooth, feeling sympathy for the tom that would have been a father, before heading off to lead the patrol home. His thoughts dark with what he might have to do.

The fox has fled